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World War II
The second World War. -
Paul Reynaud became Prime Minister of France
Paul Reynaud was an opponent of appeasement and became a supporter of Charles De Gaulle millitary views. He became the Prime Minister of France after Daladier was ousted. He assigned De Gaulle to be minister of war and then he fled to Vichy. -
Germans attacked France
The Maginot Line was a vast fortification that spread along the French/German border but became a military liability when the Germans attacked France in the spring of 1940 using blitzkrieg, a tactic that completely emasculated the Maginot Line’s purpose. -
Battle of France
The Battle of France began on May 10th, 1940. Frances Maginot Line ended up being rendered useless against the Nazi's Blitzkreig.It lasted for over a month and ended with Germany having control over France. -
Rescue at Dunkirk
The German forces continued into France and General Viscount Gort, Commander of the British Expeditionary Force in France, saw that the German invaders were getting the upper hand of the invasion. General Gort took his troops out of Great Britain and evacuated them to a nearby port in Dunkirk so that they could live to fight another day and they would wait there until ships came to get them. Then Hitler made the call to attack them and start taking out their men. -
Operation Dynamo
Operation Dynamo was the evacuation from Dunkirk May 27-June 4, 1940. Even without Belgium and Holland, the Allies outnumbered the Germans in artillery and almost half in tanks. This operation was made possible because of German mistakes and decisions made by Lord Gort, the commander of the BEF. -
France fled to Vichy
On June 10, 1940, the National Assembly, faced with imminent military defeat by Germany, gave full power to Marshal Philippe Pétain. Paris was abandoned and declared an Open City. After the French government joined the fleeing, they eventually ended up in the town, Vichy. -
Charles De Gualle Gave His Famous Speech
After the Fall of France De Gualle gave his famous speech. It uplifted people everywhere and gave them hope. One of the most remembered lines from it was, " " France has lost a battle but it has not lost the war" . -
D-Day - The Invasion of Normandy
This was the beginning of the end of World War II. They invaded by attacking 5 strategic beach points by Air and Water. Led by Eisenhower and was the beginning of " Operation Overlord" . -
Paris was Advanced Upon
Two advances were sent into Paris on August 23rd. These were made by both the French and Allied Powers. This was the start to Cholitz being captured and FRance being officially liberated on August 25th. -
Liberation of France
Through people rebelling, the Free French Forces, and the Invasion of Normandy, France was officially made free of Nazi Germany occupation.This happened on August 25th General Dietrich Von Choltitz commander of the German forces in Paris was captured marking the official day of France's Liberation.
